What the Dead Know
by N3L
Summary: The love story that ended before it even got the chance to start. But not only that, Konoha's haunted by the presence of an old enemy and war looms over the horizon. Leave it to Yamanaka Ino to fall in love with a dead man in the midst of it all. Rated M for safety and language.
1. Scene 1

**WHAT THE DEAD KNOW**

By: Sil3ntXspirit

Summary:_ The love story that ended before it even got the chance to start. But not only that, Konoha's haunted by the presence of an old enemy. War looms of the horizon, but leave it to Yamanaka Ino to fall in love with a dead man. No oc's. Rated M for safety._

* * *

**Scene 1**

Ino cursed at the shrubbery in her way. _Dammit, dammit, __**dammit!**_

At the age of twenty-one, Yamanaka Ino was actually quite an accomplished kunoichi. She had managed to get some training with Tsunade and gained proficient knowledge in medicine and healing, alongside with a bonus of super-human strength. Though Ino's skills in the two fields were nowhere near to the degree of success of Sakura's. But she'd come to realize that her talents lay elsewhere. Tsunade wasn't her only mentor, and medicine wasn't her strongest suite. She was most readily know as the suspiciously young and pretty mentee under the tutelage of Morino Ibiki (that without a doubt brought with it a raging storm of doubt and skeptism alongside with some nasty rumors). However with some years of hard work and dedication, plus a good helping of talent, she came out triumphant as one of the most reputable students of Ibiki's, and was well on her way to becoming a great addition to the Intelligence Dept.

She is determined to make her father and sensei proud.

But back to the present; her achievements were the last thing on her mind as she was dashing through the forest hotly pursued by the enemy. She bit out a few more curses under her breath at her stupidity.

She was returning (rushing) back from a solo mission. Though she was someone who absolutely thrived on social contact, Yamanaka Ino was perfect when working solo. It was the fact that she was such a people person that got her to do so well on her solo missions, people warmed up to her easily and tended to trust her. Her knowledge of psychology and the inner workings of people's minds gave her an edge that even the smartest of shinobi could not touch. So, she had successfully worked her way up to the higher-ups of an illegal weapons smuggling ring, and managed to terminate her target. All in all, the mission was a success, and she would've been _scott-free _if only she hadn't gotten a bit careless and not map out _all _of the guards in the place. Especially the ones who were on the break and managed to return right after she'd finished off her targets.

Losing some common sense and practicality after drinking, the two returning guards stumbled in on their dead leaders and reacted on instinct.

Scramble out of the scene and go after the intruder. (Not alert the entire premises, as they should've done).

Ino weaved through the thick forest with ease. She was a ninja of Konoha, and this was her element so she was doing fairly well. However, her gut instinct told her that she should get to where there was clear ground to battle it out. Or at least make it easier to observe them.

In her hurry she found herself passing slabs of stone and couldn't believe her luck. The sun was setting quickly and she made sure to falter for a moment, just to insure that they saw her pause and then dash up the slabs of stone.

Ino found herself among what looked like a wreckage of an ancient temple. Huge blocks of stone were tossed against each, and their geometric shape greeted her eyes all around. It must've been a fairly large building.

However she had no time to stop and ponder about its history as she dashed to the highest point she could find and quickly cast a genjutsu on the area, all the while concealing her chakra.

She had a perfectly view of the flat area where her enemies would enter and allowed herself a quick smile and she spotted them hide in the shadows of a few large pieces.

There were two of them. Both male. They were swathed in dark clothing and she was immediately alerted to their slight intoxicated state by their movements. It wasn't obvious, but a faint unsteadiness was more than enough for her to tell.

Summing them up, she discreetly moved a level down as she watched them draw their attention to her invisible self in the illusion. They both moved out into the open and attacked at nothing. Ah, they were completely lost in the genjutsu. They were bound to discover that it was an illusion soon, she had to no time to waste as she performed her signature move.

She felt the one goon's chakra in her power and waited till the opportune moment to go with the own flow of his momentum. Just as he swung at air she made him follow through with it, turned a 180 and slashing his partner's throat in the process. Releasing the jutsu, she took advantage of his shock and descended upon him swiftly and spared him from cutting his own throat. She had to give him some credit though for sensing her though, even if too late to save his own life, but managing to graze her shoulder with a small cut of his kunai in self-defense. He fell to the ground with a thud and she side-stepped him so that no blood would get on her uniform.

Ino let out a long sigh, and thanked for the fantastic timing of the setting sun. That little charade surely wouldn't have worked at noon, when shadows were glaringly obvious. Drunk or not, it they surely would've noticed it. Crouched and feeling incredibly lucky for once that evening she stood up and looked at her chosen battlefield. Looking down at the fallen soldiers at her feet, she couldn't help but make a silent prayer for them. She didn't know of God, or heaven or hell, but she knew for a fact that the soul existed as a Yamanaka, so she bent down paid her respects to the both of them individually before digging two make-shift graves with her bare hands (which isn't as bad as you think, as the soil happened to be soft, and Tsunade's super strength training came in handy) and burying them.

This was something she rarely did. Burying her enemies were not a commonly-practiced habit, as she was rarely afforded the luxury of time to do this, but she knew in what little that was left of her heart that they were still human. Shreds of humanity really, but still, they were ninja, just like her, and their disturbed spirits deserved a proper burial. When she could afford to.

When the two were good and buried, she wandered back up the curious mountain-like formation.

Everything was painted in a dark purple, and rich golds and blazing oranges kissed the edges. In a few more minutes, it would be nightfall. Ino looked about the scattered stone and couldn't help but note the morbid splendor of destruction.

Then she frowned to herself at her surroundings. Something happened here, she could feel it. This wasn't just a place that had fallen apart centuries ago, this place was destroyed not too long ago. This destruction was only a decade old at the most. Something familiar about it caught her supernatural sense.

She surveyed the rock more closely. Ah. Yes, a battle occurred here. A battle of huge proportions it appeared. She scouted around a bit more, ignoring the little voice in her head that told her she should've gone the moment she killed the two pursuing her.

Ino's blue eyes swept the cold rock once more, and then it hit her. There, down on the level below, where two pieces of stone met, one stood vertically and the other horizontal. It looked like the remnants of room, an untouched corner. She didn't know what she was doing heading down there to look at the stains that suspiciously looked like blood, all she knew was that she was doing it.

When she reached the flat of the stone, she confirmed her suspicions. It was blood. Ancient, and incredibly faint, but she could smell it.

Suddenly Ino felt head grow heavy and her vision blur. Alarms went off in her head and the tiny cut on her shoulder grew cold and prickled with numbness. Her eyes widened at the horrid realization.

That kunai he wielded was _poisoned._

_Shit. _She cursed silently. Guess all that luck before was just pure bullshit too.

Then as if to add to her horrible turn of events, Ino looked up wearily in hopes of keeping consciousness long enough to do something about the poison in her system...

But she ended up seeing a figure about twenty feet away just when her knees hit the cold and unforgiving stone floor.

Her eyes widened in surprise and fear.

The sun had just set, and the shadows grew. The figure remained stationary, shrouded in utter darkness. Her eyes couldn't spy any physical features, only the silhouette of this new arrival. Goosebumps rose on her flesh. Would this be the very last thing she saw before her death?

If you were successful in her line of work, you didn't scare easy anymore, she had seen things that most people should have _never seen _in their entire _lives. _Her rationality reasoned that it was most likely a hallucination caused by the toxins in her system, but the pin-pricks on fear on the back of her spine refused to listen as she stared wide-eyed on at the haunting figure. What caused the fear to trickle down her poisoned spine was the fact that though the figure was twenty feet away, somehow she could see it eye to eye as if it were mere inches away from her face.

They were blood red. Burning away in the darkness like fading embers as she finally surrendered to the creeping night.

* * *

**A/N: Ah. Well, I've never really written romance before...so...be patient with me. Plus, the romance is far far away in the future. I ask you to be patient, but hopefully you'll find the wait to be worth it. :) I have a definite plot in mind and it's going to have several things happening at once so hopefully it keeps things exciting for you. **

Reviews makes me happy. :D


	2. Scene 2

**WHAT THE DEAD KNOW**

By: Sil3ntXspirit

Summary:_ The love story that ended before it even got the chance to start. But not only that, Konoha's haunted by the presence of an old enemy. War looms of the horizon, but leave it to Yamanaka Ino to fall in love with a dead man. No oc's. Rated M for safety._

* * *

What Happened Last Chapter:

_If you were successful in her line of work, you didn't scare easy anymore, she had seen things that most people should have never seen in their entire lives. Her rationality reasoned that it was most likely a hallucination caused by the toxins in her system, but the pin-pricks on fear on the back of her spine refused to listen as she stared wide-eyed on at the haunting figure. What caused the fear to trickle down her poisoned spine was the fact that though the figure was twenty feet away, somehow she could see it eye to eye as if it were mere inches away from her face._

_They were blood red. Burning away in the darkness like fading embers as she finally surrendered to the creeping night._

* * *

**Scene 2**

Ino woke up shivering. Blinking dazedly she groaned as she found herself sore from lying…on the cold stone floor. She suddenly seized up and her eyes flew open from her last memory of night descending on her.

The dark figure. The eyes burning away in the darkness. Hope's dying flame... She sat up and instantly felt foolish at her fear. It was a little bit after dawn, and everything was…ordinary. Painfully ordinarily so.

Then she realized that she was _alive. _She quickly turned to her shoulder and examined the cut there. It prickled uncomfortably, but other than that, it appeared to be just another plain annoying cut. She blinked. She could've _sworn that it was poisoned. _Maybe it was just a quick debilitating agent...and her body managed to filter it out while she was out. Maybe she got lucky after all. She looked herself over. Her knees were faintly bruised from landing so ungraciously on the floor and she was a bit sore but other than that and the cut on her shoulder she was fine.

_Except for her memory_, she grunted at herself.

It didn't make any sense though. Ino _knew _that she was poisoned last night. Enough to have her pass out in minutes in fact, she imagined that something that strong would have some lasting effects. The kunoichi's brow furrowed in thought. Then she closed her eyes in a meditative trance and felt out her chakra systems. A few moments of silence passed as Ino came in tune with her body then finished her self-diagnosis. She frowned to herself, puzzled. Everything _felt fine. _Perhaps her system really did manage to fight it off?

Improbable, but not _impossible._

_Well, __**she **__wasn't going to complain, _Ino mentally shrugged and got up. Then she groaned. _Dammit, she was a day overdue! _She glanced around reluctantly, this place had a story and she could feel it. But after last night's curious events…she was sure that leaving was _much better _ idea. She then turned to the cut on her shoulder, raising a hand glowing green with healing chakra and decided to give it a little boost…_just in case._

Brushing herself off and making the necessary adjustments to her ponytail she dashed off and made up her mind to get back to Konoha by noon. After waking up with protesting joints and muscles from the stone floor, Ino yearned for her bed at home in Konoha with a renewed vigor.

As Ino disappeared into the forest, a pair of eyes watched on from the highest point of the aging destruction.

* * *

Ino went directly to the Hokage, just to get it over with. …Plus, she was a day overdue, and Tsunade was an impatient woman. And tempermental. And _scary when pissed. And inebriated at the same time. _The kunoichi idly hoped that she was tipsy on sake and did not notice her lateness.

She had no such luck.

"You're late, Yamanaka." Ino groaned to herself, _Of all the days for her to be sober, _she thought to herself; however her face remained blank and professional. She stepped in briskly and bowed respectfully to her Hokage.

"I apologize, Hokage-sama. I ran into some unpredicted circumstances."

A finely plucked eyebrow raised itself. "Details, Yamanaka."

She briefed the mission to her, included every detail that she deemed necessary, which definitely did _not _include her little...hallucination bit.

"Hmmm. Poison?" A quick look over. "That scratch on your shoulder the source?"

Ino nodded her affirmative.

Tsunade's sharp golden eyes analyzed her for another moment, then they softened just a bit. "Well, you seem fine, Yamanaka. Just don't get so careless again. You're talented and _lucky_ this time, but that won't always save you. When you see Sakura later tonight, let her do a quick scan. I'd hate to lose one of Konoha's best shinobi to a _little scratch."_

Ino let herself smirk. The professional atmosphere melted as they became student and teacher once more. "Don't worry, I won't stop bugging you for _a long time." _

The older woman scoffed and then waved her ex-student away. "Ah yeah, yeah. Get on your way, Yamanaka, I'll call you for your next assignment later." _Be more careful. _

The Yamanaka smiled a genuine smile in return, "I'll be ready and waiting." _I will, don't worry so much._

As the kunoichi left, she had a nice warm shower on the top of her list, and an afternoon's worth of relaxation. She fished her keys out of her pocket and stepped inside her apartment living room. She was greeted with her ratty old green sofa (courtesy of her father, Inoshi).

After taking that much looked forward to shower, Ino found herself lounging around on her old sofa, idly flipping through a magazine. Now fresh and clean, she was in a slightly better mood. The radio was on, and the singer's crooning voice filled the air, and Ino's foot took it upon itself to tap with the beat.

Her sofa sat in the middle of the living and faced the entrance, which was to the right, near the corner. The floor had wood paneling (she argued it out with Sakura, who wanted carpet and they reached a compromise). Small decorative tables littered throughout her small two bedroom apartment, and of course, flower arrangements were aplenty. She was rooming with her old friend and rival, the one and only Haruno Sakura, who usually came home in the much later hours of the day due to her shifts at the hospital.

As she flipped absentmindedly through the thin pages, truthfully, she knew that all she was trying to do was distract herself from last night's events. That hallucination refused to purge itself from her mind and continued to drift into her idle thoughts now and then. Those eyes...burning away into the darkness... she felt herself fade away into the darkness with it...

She shuddered quietly and her spine tingled.

"Bah!" She scolded herself, "snap out of it!" and stood up quickly with resolve. Sitting around was no good, the hustle and bustle of Konoha was what she needed! She needed _people. _

It was the late afternoon, and mid-autumn. Just when the temperature started to drop. Keeping that in mind, she changed into a form fitting purple long-sleeved shirt and some bermuda shorts, then breezed out the door, eager for company.

* * *

Sasuke grunted noncommittally.

"So they're dead?"

"Yes, Sasuke," Karin stood at attention, ready and alert in front of her leader. "From what I've gathered, the deaths were unnatural, and someone was specifically sent to target them."

The wheels in the Uchiha's head began to spin as he explored all the possible implications of this.

Karin however, wasn't finished and cleared her voice softly. "There's more, Sasuke."

The avenger flickered his gaze to her.

"Two guards have gone missing. It's assumed that they left to pursue the attacker. There were no signs of a struggle and they're whereabouts remain unknown."

"If they haven't returned yet, it is most likely that they are dead."

"I agree. But you can never be sure."

Sasuke retreated back into the twisted inner workings of his mind. As a young man now, his frame was still lean as ever, and he stood at a full six feet. His face lost most of it's baby fat and was more angular now, however it retained a faint feminine quality to it. He still wore a pretty face, untouched to courtesy to his high skill. His hair was maintained at a longer length now and reached where his neck met collarbone, and his bangs framed his face attractively, not that he cared. All he knew was that women (and men, as he awkwardly came to acknowledge) liked the way he looked, and if the time came, he took advantage of it.

The ruler of the Sound sighed. "We need to find a new weapons supplier." _Get one._

"I'm on it." The redhead turned on her heel and exited out of the room.

The sole occupant of the room sunk further into his throne before standing up and pacing about the floor. _If someone __**was sent, **__which someone most likely was, from which village? Could it possibly be Konoha? It wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume there was a leak in the system...and perhaps maybe even the Sand got through to it? And alerted Konoha? _ Eyes narrowed in suspicion, the Uchiha shook his. Anyway, it didn't matter _how _it happened now, as much as how to fix it. _However...if only the guards managed to capture the intruder...things would be so much easier. _Brooding naturally as he entertained the possibility of the irritating turn of events. He came to a stop at the window, where he saw the sun set, but did not truly see it.

"Tch."

* * *

By the time Ino was done gallivanting in the streets of Konoha, the sun had already set. She'd discovered Naruto and Kiba at the Ramen Shop (probably the best people she could run into at the moment), the Uzumaki's pile of empty bowls grew higher by the minute, but the three of them somehow managed to fool around enough and finally get shooed out of the stand for all the ruckus they were making.

Fishing out her keys for the second time that day, she sauntered into her living room and flicked on the radio as she past it and entered the hallway. By the time she reached her bedroom to change into a warmer pair of sweats, she was humming to herself and swaying to the music. She chuckled fondly to herself as she replayed the antics of the two numbskulls. _Good 'ole Naruto and Kiba..._

Strutting back into the living room, she plopped herself down on her couch and picked up the magazine she was idly using to distract herself hours earlier before and opened it. She glanced at the clock; it was about half past seven. A few minutes passed, she got into the music and started singing softly to herself, and became absorbed in one of the ridiculous magazine articles. She smirked at its silliness and read on in amusement. A few hours later found Ino curled up on the couch reading a book, and the discarded magazine lay haphazardly on the table. She felt her body aching for water, so she interrupted her reading session to go into the kitchen and grab a chilled bottle of water.

When she entered the living again just mere seconds later, her blood froze and her heart skipped a beat.

Her skin crawled and her eyes were as wide and white as the moon as she was transfixed on the very same phantom image that plagued her mind.

The ghostly apparition that she was trying to avoid the entire afternoon had come back to haunt her. It was right at the entrance, in the corner. A heavy ominous energy with red eyes, watching her at this very moment.

The water bottle she clutched in her fingers crashed to the floor.

Ino's breath stilled as her lungs caught with her fear.

Her throat became parched, and she deftly tried to swallow. Somehow swallow the fear. Her heart was pounding in her ears, yet her blood felt too thick to move.

She blinked without knowing.

And then it was gone.

She blinked furiously after that in confusion and her wide-eyes searched the room. Nothing. Her muscles tensed with her every movement, as her instinct whispered to her that it _was **never** a hallucination __in the first place._

With frayed nerves and obviously disturbed, Ino bent down shakily, slowly to retrieve the water bottle at her feet, eyes glued to the corner.

A sharp knock echoed into living.

The Yamanaka jumped a foot into the air from fear and surprise (and nearly out of her out skin), the water bottle she'd just retrieved crashed onto the floor again. She cursed and blinked stupidly at the door until she realized that someone was knocking for entrance.

Taking a deep breath, then exhaling, she strode (crept cautiously) to her living room door. Her hand reached up as she mentally berated herself as she saw it quiver just the tiniest. She opened the door.

"Welcome back, Ino-pig!" Sakura's cheerful colors greeted Ino, and she couldn't have been more relieved to see her friend.

And just as quickly as it happened, it was over. The mind walker let out a breath that she didn't realize that she was holding, then offered a smile.

"Hey forehead."

Sakura looked at her roommate curiously. The fair-skinned woman standing in front of her was white as a sheet. "Are you alright, Ino? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

Sakura was already mentally running through a list of possible causes and indications. Ah, once a doctor, always a doctor. The Yamanaka nodded her head. "I'm fine." She stepped out of the doorway to let her friend enter before remembering her dear somehow _sober _Hokage's request.

"Ah, actually I did get grazed by a poisoned kunai last night. Tsunade wanted to you to do a quick scan," she mumbled reluctantly. "As if I couldn't do it myself..."

Sakura's pink eyebrows shot up on her prominent forehead as she whirled into action. "Poison!? What kind of poison? No wonder you're so pale! Are you sure it's out of your system? Why didn't you come by the hospital earlier! And -"

The medic was silenced by a hand help up. Ino smiled warily at Sakura, "I checked myself. I'm fine. And it might've been a quick debilitating agent of some sort with hallucinations as an effect. But it definitely isn't potent or fatal."

The pink haired woman blinked. Then the faint lines of suspicion and worry began to show on her face anyway. "Well, Tsunade-sama was right to have someone do a scan on you anyway. You never know about these things..." then her friend's expression turned impish, "and as the _better medic, _I might find something you've missed."

Ino rolled her eyes and couldn't help but grin fondly as her friend's antics. "Oh _whatever, Forehead. _The only one who could possibly know my body best is me." She looked at Sakura's slightly rumpled appearance. They both had seen better times, but this was far from the worst.

"Go take a shower first. I know you're aching for one. Ya know, I can feel all the germs coming off of you." She jabbed her thumb in the general direction of their restroom and grinned nonchalantly. And though she seemed fine, her vision could not help but stray to the corner where the apparition appeared. "I think I see a culture growing on the wide plains of your oh-so-magnificent brow."

Sakura turned her nose to the air. "Hmmph, you're just jealous that I actually _have something that's magnificent. _Unlike you. But if you suddenly start going into spasms or anything while I shower you can't point the finger at me."

Ino snorted. "Gee. Thanks."

The blonde wandered back to her ancient sofa, and sat there still as a statue. Ino didn't relax till she heard the water running in the bathroom, and even then she was still on an edge. However, the presence of another human being in the apartment was doing wonders on her nerves.

Still...she grew uncomfortable at how loud her heart beats were sounding in her ears. Maybe the kunai was poisoned?

Cautiously, furtively, Ino slowly felt around the room...then the entire apartment. She didn't know whether she wanted to find something or not. A few minutes passes as her tendrils of chakra returned back to her, nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was scorched into the deepest corners of her mind as she peered at the empty corner. She realized that this time, the phantom carried the shape of a man.

Twenty (horribly _long) _minutes later, the warm scent of strawberries filled the living room as Sakura entered, freshly showered and dressed in mint cotton pajamas. The medic dropped herself like a dead weight next to Ino and then motioned for her to get closer. Ino couldn't help but smile a little at Sakura's state, she was relaxed, and it was a good sight to see. They were both hard-workers really, and had the tendency to overwork themselves.

She shifted closer to her friend. "Tch. Lazy."

Sakura frowned. "Hey, hey. Want the check-up or not?"

The mind walker raised an eyebrow. "No. Don't need it. But Hokage's orders, remember? Hmmm?"

"Damn."

Their good-natured banter died down as Sakura got into her "doctor-mode" as Ino liked to call it, and stared up the ceiling uninterestedly as Sakura's glowing hands hovered over her body. The blonde rolled her head to face Sakura and drawled, "By the way, it entered me from a cut on my left shoulder." Meaning that the poison was not inhaled or digested. Her head rolled back to its original position and she resumed staring at the ceiling. It was quite a Shikamaru-esque thing to do actually, thought Sakura. She decided to keep that thought to herself however.

"You know that you're going to have to show it to me."

Ino hand rose and it flitted in the air like a bird. "Ah, there's no need. It's already half healed. And trust me, it's fine. And so is my body. Isn't it?"

Sakura frowned to herself before resuming her check-up on Ino's systems for a few more minutes. It wasn't that she and the Hokage didn't trust Ino's medical skills, she was definitely proficient in that area after all, but admittedly both women, old and young, cared for their blonde female friend and didn't want to risk any chances.

"Well, guess a pig's tough skin is hard to get through. I guess you're alright."

"As hard to get through as that thick skull behind that giant forehead of yours."

* * *

**A/N: I felt like some social interaction this time. Anyhoo, yeah, sorry there's a huge lack of action this chapter...but like I warned you guys, this one's going to be moving at a slow pace. I kind of want to take the time to establish Ino's relationships with her peers and what-not. And it's been a really long time since I actually tried this hard for a long (well, it _feels like it's going to be long) _multi-chapter story. I'm out of my comfort-zone with my many one-shots. D:**

**Well, at least I updated, right? **

Reviews would be wonderful. Let me know what you're thinking. What you're anticipating, anything!


	3. Scene 3

**WHAT THE DEAD KNOW**

By: Sil3ntxSpirit

Summary: _ The love story that ended before it even got the chance to start. But not only that, Konoha's haunted by the presence of an old enemy. War looms of the horizon, but leave it to Yamanaka Ino to fall in love with a dead man. No oc's. Rated M for safety._

What Happened Last Chapter:

_Sakura frowned to herself before resuming her check-up on Ino's systems for a few more minutes. It wasn't that they didn't trust Ino's medical skills, she was proficient in that area after all, but admittedly both women, old and young, cared for their blonde female friend and didn't want to risk any chances._

_"Well, guess a pig's tough skin is hard to get through. I guess you're alright."_

_"As hard to get through as that thick skull behind that giant forehead of yours."_

* * *

**Scene 3**

Ah.

It was raining. Ino sat beside her window and traced the streaks of liquid that the rain drops left just on the other side of the glass pane. It was cool to the touch. She could feel them trickling from the tips of her fingers.

A few months had passed since she'd returned from that fateful mission. Autumn was coming to an end and her days managed to pass by fairly quickly due to work and missions. And as a head of the Intelligence Sect., some rather unsettling things had been circulating concerning foreign threats to Konoha. Untangling the rumor from the fact was no small task to do, so she'd also been working double-time, even doing her own fair share of espionage missions.

Among the ninja populatoin, rumors were flying. Wagging tongues passed story from ear to ear and things escalate and distort in the process. There was a consistency to them though. One of them was of how the Sound village was reestablished and been growing steadily throughout the years. As for the _how and who and why..._well that's where all the speculation began. From the next Akatsuki to Orochimaru to even Uchiha Sasuke himself they were thrown into the cesspool of possibilites. And among the _civilian population..._god, they grew more ridiculous. Jiraiya's name was even mentioned. God, knew how that happened.

Paranoid, far-fetched things flew about. And Ino heard them all.

With the disturbing possibilities and distractions, she'd managed to forget about the faceless shadow with burning red eyes.

She sighed. The rain pitter-pattered softly. The light of rain washed everything into monochromatic hue. Her hair turned silver in the light of rain and reflected each drop. Her white eyelashes fluttered as she blinked. The only color remaining in the room was the blue of her eyes. Seconds ticked by and Ino remained faithfully gazing out into the grey world.

It was her day off. She hadn't had a day off in years.

And the one day she does, it rains. Figures. But really, she didn't mind the rain at all. It almost made sense that it would rain on her day off. Compared to the hustle and bustle of her busy life, the bright cutting sunshine and blazing blue of the clear sky...this cool...calm...cleansing, crystal rain seem to slow down time. It made it feel like her day off more than anything else ever could. Today was a day to rest and remember. To rejuvenate herself.

The young woman moved away from the enchanting window and wandered through the house. She stopped in front of the row of pictures hanging in the corridor leading from the living to the bedrooms and bathroom.

Her finger came up to touch the glass of a particular portrait. Her and her father's grinning face looked back happily at her from a memory captured and frozen in time. She had just made jounin...and they had gone out to celebrate together. Even though they weren't shown in the image, she knew for a fact that Shikamaru, Shikaku, Chouji, and Chouja were right there, in the background smiling along with her.

Her lips curved into a bittersweet smile as she thought of that happy day.

"I love you, dad..."

She looked at his grin and his messy bangs and the little scar at his eyebrow that you'd only notice if you were less than a foot away from his face. He had that scar for as long as she remembered. "I hope you're doing well...wherever you are..."

Yamanaka Inoshi had died two years ago. He was away on a mission that everyone knew was risky from the start. It was one of those long-term infiltration ones that cut you off from the world you knew. You were dead to Konoha for however long it took, and all communications were cut off, unless _absolutely necessary_. For Inoshi to be picked spoke two great things, that he was a superb ninja and hugely trusted and valued by Konoha. Ino knew that soon, she might sent off to one of those missions herself.

After collecting enough valuable information that it could've been weighted in gold he could in about a year, Inoshi's identity was revealed and his loyalties exposed.

The vital information managed to get through Konoha's gates safe and sound. Inoshi wasn't as lucky.

He never returned at all.

Yamanaka Ino caressed the glass lovingly once more before she moved on to the next photo.

There were two other photos, one above the other for the purpose of contrast.

The one one the bottom was of her and Sakura back at the Academy. _The academy...how long ago that felt. It felt a life time away. _The two were smiling in the way only children could achieve. It was before Sasuke arrived on the scene, and the two had a brightness in their eyes that could only be attributed to innocence. Sakura's little round face matched her hair as she blushed at the camera. The red ribbon she gave her tied her bubblegum hair back. The blonde herself had her short hair tied up, and bits of her blonde hair stuck out in odd angles like straw. Those glittery purple clips did nothing to help. Her young girl child self was sticking her tongue out impishly at the camera and winking shamelessly. It was little blurry, since Ino's hand shook from getting into position but it made the picture all the more darling in her eyes.

The one above was taken just last year. It was ironic, because the two seemed to have switched positions. Sakura stuck her tongue playfully out at the camera, pink hair shoulder-length and just freshly combed ("Wait! Lemme fix my hair reallly quick!"). Her eyes were the color of green green grass. It was a hot summer day, and both of their cheeks were slightly flushed from the heat. Ino on the other hand, simply smiled at the camera. Her eyes were ocean-blue day and reflected the sky. Her bangs were brushed to the side and her ponytail cascaded down one shoulder. The baby fat had disappeared, and Ino's face was sharper now and much more refined. She wore the face of a woman. Sakura's heart-shaped face still had a youthful look to it though it was no longer that of a child's. It was something Sakura would never lose Ino thought.

Years passed. Heart's were broken. Friendships mended and created. They'd shed blood, sweat, and tears. They were different people now.

They grew up.

Ino glanced quickly at the clock. Sakura and Hinata were due in a few hours. Sakura had asked Tsunade to get off earlier to day, and Hinata was luckily free today. Tenten was unfortunately away on mission at the moment, but the girls were much too long over due for a get-together again.

Lost in memories, Ino glided back into her bedroom and was once again drawn to the window. The streets below had a few stubborn straggling figures rushing to find shelter. Following a particularily hasty figure with her eyes, she broke out of her reverie and decided in that very moment to go out and join them.

Ino made for her closet and pondered about what to wear outside. She had thrown a long-sleeved white cotton shirt, and powder-blue pants that morning in anticipation of her free day. Comfort was her top priority today. Fingering through the various fabrics her closet held, her hand suddenly halted at a coarse, thick, black fabric.

Her father's trench coat, worn with age and use. It was the only one he left her.

It was loose, and too large for her slender frame, but nonetheless, it couldn't feel more right to her as it settled around her shoulders. She buttoned up a few and hooked her finger around the handle of an umbrella on her way out. She took in a breath of the cold crisp air and the door closed behind her with an assuring click. The scent of rain lingered in her throat pleasantly.

She snapped the umbrella open and joined the dampened figures outside. Rain was uncommon in Konoha, and it was one the rare causes for a quiet day in the city streets.

She had time to kill for now, it was two in in the afternoon and she'd already spent the earlier part of the day doing all the little things that she had been meaning to do for a few weeks. Ino strolled peacefully in the wet gleaming streets and the sound of the rain filled her senses.

Humanity was at rest, while Mother Nature came alive.

She let her feet choose her destination and wound up at the field of wild flowers near the Uchiha compound. (She discovered it as a genin, while..well, it isn't hard to imagine, scouting around her crush's living quarters for hints...clues..._anything, _and came upon the field completely by accident).

Upon entering the bejeweled field, she realized that someone had beat her to it.

Off in the distance was a figure clad in black. Ino narrowed her eyes, and made out through the veil of rain in her vision that the person was perhaps wearing a cloak of some kind, unsurprisingly. They're figure was obscured and gave no immediate indicator to their gender. But it was a young man. Ino just knew.

Just like she knew that his long hair was dry even though he carried no umbrella. Even though everything else was sopping wet.

The young woman made her way through the field dripping flowers...muted mauves, faded blues, and faint greens sparkled around her. She was drawn to the figure standing so still in the rain. So different from the hurried characters she passed in the street...

And curiously dry. It didn't make any sense. But she accepted it all the same and continued to make her steady way toward him. Whoever he was.

She frowned. She was already halfway across the field but he remained just as far away as ever. But it didn't occur to her to give up, her legs wouldn't have listened anyway as they continued to brush past the thigh-high vegetation.

Her foot steps were whispers among the petals, secrets passed from leaf to leaf with every stride.

Minutes passed by. Hours. Days even. Ino felt like she'd been walking for an eternity. However her legs did not tire nor did her resolve weaken. She had to reach him. No matter how long it took.

_She just __**had to. **_

She didn't know why it was so important. It just _was. _Her heart told her so. Her body told her so. Her spirit told her so.

And _finally, finally after another thousand years had passed..._she was standing right next to him. For a split second, a terrible stupidity came over her and she thought to have mistaken a statue for a living person, but then he shifted.

A hint of a high cheekbone and straight nose then...

Ino blinked.

The sun streamed in through the window. She blinked again a few more times at the intruding brightness. Suddenly the realizatin hit her and her eyes widened and she sprung out of bed like a coiled spring. She was about to be late for work. _No, scratch that. She __**was late. **_And Ibiki, unlike Tsunade, never let anything slide. Nor did he drink on the job. Not even a drop. Damn, Ibiki really needed to learn to relax. Honestly.

_Shit!_

She cursed and rushed out the door in a flurry of disheveled clothing and fluttering papers. By the time she reached the office and grinned sheepishly at Ibiki, all that was left of her curious dream was a lingering wish for it to rain...

* * *

Hinata smiled in that particular way of her's as she watched Ino melt visibly with the aid of her hot coffee. The Yamanaka was all sharp corners and metallic eyes when she first arrived, but the warm drink she sipped at helped with that.

"Busy day?" the soft spoken woman ventured.

She was rewared with a you-should-know-better-look.

"Ah. Forgive me. It's _always a busy day, _isn't it?"

Ino's lips refused to leave her coffee and her eyes darted to the corner tiredly in reply.

"Why don't you request a few days off, Ino?"

The blonde finally stopped sipping at her drink and replied, "Ah, but I've worked so hard to get to where I am now! I can't just start slacking off..."

Hinata rolled her eyes. She was the only one who could managed to do it without an attitude. "You've been at it for a year."

"_Yeah."_

The Hyuuga scoffed silently. Her friend was hopeless sometimes.

"Well, other than being busy, how are you?"

The blonde woman shrugged minimally. "Good, good. And you, Hinata? How're things?"

The buxom woman sighed forlornly. "They still refuse to stop." Hinata had finally inherited her title as the Hyuuga leader, but the council was hard headed as ever. Main heir of the Hyuuga clan or not, she wasn't the only one in power, the Hyuuga council members were old and comfortable in their seats. By "they" she meant them. And by "refuse to stop" she was referring to keeping up the ancient tradition of branding the branch house members with the caged bird seal.

"Ah...well, some day, Hinata. _Some day._" The interrogator smiled genuinely at the Hyuuga. "How's Neji? I haven't seen that stony bastard this month. He's not on a mission, is he?" Her smooth brow wrinkled in thought. She and Neji had been partnered up before in missions, their skills complimented each other rather well, depending on the situation. If he was on a mission, she'd know...unless it slipped her mind...?

The purple-haired woman sighed again. "No, not at the moment. But he's been involved with this business as well..."

Ino's mouth drew back on itself. Poor Neji. Underneath the bandages...he faced it everyday every time he looked in a mirror. To be branded and deemed lower than them. Secretly (or not so secretly depending on the person), it made Ino's blood boil. Ino had made her opnions known to Hinata, however she'd kept quiet to herself whenever she was around the quieter, more serious Hyuuga.

"Whenever you need me, Hinata." Ino's blue gaze lodked with Hinata's silver eyes and a silent promise was passed between the two.

A moment of silence passed between the two as they were lost to their own thoughts. A fog creeped over Ino's eyes as she looked back up at Hinata.

"Hey...Hinata."

"Hmmm?"

"You think demons exist?"

Hinata blinked wide-eyed at Ino. It wasn't completely uncommon for Ino to pop random (silly/uncomfortable/serious/philosophical) questions like this, but this time...demons? It didn't fit her wide range of topics. Too religious. Too fantasy-esque. Ino was always someone who was immersed in reality. All it's beauty and all it's grit and grime.

"Demons, Ino?" As shinobi, they were familiar with demons, personal demons that swarmed in their vision as they lay in the beds right before falling asleep. Of blood stained hands...Of being _shinobi. _Even of _demonic _things. But Hinata knew that those were not the ones Ino was after at the moment.

"Perhaps," Hinata peered curiously at her friend, "why?"

"Ah...I met a raving lunatic on my last mission. Completely religious. And insane. But he had some valid points." The Yamanaka smiled brightly. "It was fun."

Hinata blinked again at Ino, then smiled, and offered soft, tinkling laughter.

" I see. Hmmmm." The gentle Hyuuga's gaze traveled heavenward in contemplation. "Maybe they do. Maybe they don't. Personally...I don't believe in them."

Ino stirred her coffee and took another long thoughtful sip. "No idea. But wouldn't it be fantastic if they did?"

Hinata's eyes widened understandably, and the words fell out her mouth.

"What? _Why?" Why in the world would you wish for demons to be real? For the embodiment of evil to truly exist?_

The young blonde woman held up her coffee cup up to her face and the heat wafted out in delicate twisting tendrils. It weaved ethereal patterns in the air and disappeared. Ino's eyes dulled for moment to the murky depths of unknown waters.

When she looked up again however, they were a crisp cornflower blue that reminded Hinata of dawn peeking over the horizon.

"Because," her voice was soft and cool. The blue of her eyes shifted and rippled like water.

"Then that would mean angels exist too."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry, another completely uneventful chapter, guys. :( I swear, it'll get more interesting later.**

**Thank You for Reviewing!  
**

**Aira Slytherin: :o You left me TWO reviews! Ahahha, thank you for leaving one in the first place. I'm glad that it was suspense-filled, as I wasn't really sure how it was coming out and all. And I am going to drop hints here and there. It should get pretty obvious (but hopefully not too obvious) later. Who do you think it is? :D I can't gaurantee a confirmation though.  
**

**Shelvesinthecloset: Thank you, and sorry about the chapter lengths. :( I'll try to make them longer in the future.**

**Deathrosekitty: Ahahaha, I don't know about that. We'll see. And who do you think it is?  
**


	4. Scene 4

**WHAT THE DEAD KNOW**

By: Sil3ntxSpirit

Summary: _ The love story that ended before it even got the chance to start. But not only that, Konoha's haunted by the presence of an old enemy. War looms of the horizon, but leave it to Yamanaka Ino to fall in love with a dead man. No oc's. Rated M for safety._

What Happened Last Chapter:

_Hinata's eyes bugged out slightly of her head, and the words fell out her mouth._

_"What? __Why?" Why in the world would you wish for demons to be real? For the embodiment of evil to truly exist?_

_The young blonde woman held up her coffee cup up to her face and the heat wafted out in delicate twisting tendrils. It weaved ethereal patterns in the air and disappeared. Ino's eyes dulled for moment to the murky depths of unknown waters._

_When she looked up again however, they were a crisp cornflower blue that reminded Hinata of dawn peeking over the horizon. Hope._

_"Because," her voice was soft and cool. The blue of her eyes shifted and rippled like water._

_"Then that would mean angels exist too."_

_

* * *

_**Scene 4**

"Brown or Green, Neji?"

"Hn."

"...lord. Here." It was the same thing every single time; she didn't even know why she bothered to ask anymore. She tossed the green contacts to her partner and took the brown ones for herself. Neji caught them effortlessly then made his way to her restroom to put them on. Sighing exasperatedly at his hopeless behavior, Ino returned to holding up two colors of hair-dye together in comparison.

_Hazelnut brown or Ebony black? _ Hmmmm. Decisions, decisions.

She settled on the black dye and dropped the other box onto her ratty sofa next to their two bags of belongings. She ripped open the box and then proceeded to empty it's contents as she headed toward her restroom.

"Oy, use the mirror in my bedroom. I need to dye my hair."

The Hyuuga exhaled quietly and got of the bathroom without a word. He certainly was not in the best of moods. Then again, Neji was never in a cheerful mood either. Ino shook her head at her partner's antics then proceeded to dye her hair.

By the time the two exited her apartment, they looked like two completely different people. Neji with his jade green eyes wore a new outfit consisting of a loose faded brown sweater, and grey army pants. But the most drastic change was how he wore his hair, as Ino made him tie it up high just like her and it changed the Hyuuga's overall look.

Ino exited out the door looking like her opposite. Her eyes were a deep brown, and her hair was black. She settled for braiding her pony-tail into a long thick rope. Her usual purple was gone and wore a pair of grey army pants like Neji, except she wore a hunter green fur-lined hooded jacket. Underneath she donned a simple black t-shirt.

With the similar coloring and clothing, they gave off the odd sense of being related to one another.

The transformed duo skipped merely transporting to the tower, but entered at ground level, as a quick test to their new looks.

It took the ANBU all of five seconds to recognize their chakra, but those precious five seconds of utter confusion at their superficial appearances were perfect. Shinobi of Konoha know each other well, and their chakra signatures are simple to identify for one another.

"Hokage-sama," Ino greeted and the pair bowed respectfully.

The older woman raised an eyebrow and simply looked them over for a few seconds. She was quite sure that Ino and Neji were heading up here. Those people were _not _Neji and Ino.

Then it hit her. The Hokage smiled in recognition.

"_Ah. _Well done, you two. Here are the two ear pieces you'll be using to communicate. Excercise _extreme caution, _though I'm sure you already know that. Report back monthly to me via summons." Tsunade's lips curled into an expecting smirk, "I expect the rumors to be cleared and the facts presented before me. Clear?"

"Yes, Hokage-Sama."

Tsunade's eyes hardened as she gave them one last look. All three of them knew that with a mission as dangerous as this one...the chances of them coming back were slim. Both Ino and Tsunade had Inochi's fate in mind and as Tsunade uttered her next words, the two locked gazes.

"Good luck. Dismissed."

Now this may have all seemed incredibly simple to you, but the truth is that this only a snippet of the result of the _months of preparation_. Ino's family flowershop even had a chuunin assigned to look after it to replace her under a C-class mission, who was under a genjutsu of all time to look like Ino, and the months of preparation were also used but not limited to, by Ino to help the poor girl study her relations and how to manage to flowershop. (There was also a co-worker that Ino hired to help around the flowershop). This was how high and classified the mission was. Ino's absence and prominent position were not to be taken note of at all in Konoha. Filler records were prepared for her days at the Intelligence sect., and people had been gone over, Ibiki would maintain the appearance that she was still there. Loose strings were fixed. The only few people knew of her absence would be Tsunade herself, Ibiki and a few operatives in that section. Not even Sakura would know, she was sent off on another mission.

Neji's preparation weren't as extensive. As an ANBU captain, his whereabouts were already sketchy at best, but his records were made to show that he had departed a week after their _real departure _to a solo mission in the Sand country for diplomatic matters. If anyone asked, they'd be directed to the Hyuuga clan, who'd confirm this.

This mission was absolutely critical.

Neji would leave at 1 in the afternoon. Ino would leave two hours later, and they would enter the village individually and check into different hotels. They're only source of communication would be their ear devices (top of the line, tiny and flesh colored, with a wireless connection that stayed strong even at a ten mile radius, and were pretty _darn _handy dandy). Shinobi can sense chakra and Justus, but none of them can sense the electronic little earbuds. Ah, technology.

At the gates of the Sound, Neji was put through a quick search, then let through without any trouble. Outsiders were a common occurrence. The village was practically _made of them. _He checked into a hotel that approximately a mile away from the border as Takumi Suzuki. If anything happened, escape would be easy.

When the sun's intensity finally began to wane, Ino arrived. She under went the same security with the guards and ever flirted with them in an foreign accent. She slid through the security effortlessly, as Shiori Tanaka.

Their names were chosen for their popularity and how common they were.

"Suzuki."

"I've aleady checked in. I'm about a mile away from the border and to the north of the village."

"Confirmed. I'll stay in the south." Ino positioned herself accordingly and mirrored Neji's choice of staying close to the border. Next the two were to meet up and discuss strategies.

"Alright. So, the usual, Neji-kun?" Ino teased.

"The usual, Yamanaka."

* * *

At about 11PM that night, the clerk at the desk eyed enviously at the lovely (albeit drunk out of _her mind) _brunette on Takumi's arm.

Ino giggled and sputtered and tripped all over the place in her 4-inch strappy heels. She had on a black strapless dress that went up to her mid-thighs and her dyed black hair came down in waves. Somehow, her make-up managed to stay the way it was intended with her drunken antics and flushed, sweaty skin. She cooed at the handsome man holding her and clung onto him for balance.

She giggled again. "Whaaatever you say, handsomee," she slurred.

The clerk eyed her hungrily again as the pair made their way to his room. The bastard had only been here for a day and he'd already found someone.

Damn. Life was just so unfair sometimes.

They had scouted out the area during the evening and "happened on each other" at one of the more popular clubs. Once the door closed, the facade melted and the two stood facing each other. If Neji's control was lesser, his eyes might've strayed elsewhere than her face. Even if he was the epitome of a professional shinobi...Ino was undeniably attractive. Ah hell, she was _hawt, man. _

He remained focused on her new brown eyes.

"They're looking to gain more power, and there are people around get in and look around." He eyed her painted eyes evenly.

"I agree. Have you been approached by anyone? Any recruiters?"

He shook his head. "It's too early. I haven't been approached."

", from what I've gathered, there are two trials to get in."

Neji raised an eyebrow, Ino was truly a fantastic spy.

She raised a delicately manicured fingernail and he wondered like always, how she could punch someone out with nails like those. It made no logical sense to Neji.

"First, there's tournament. Kinda like our chuuin exams, eh? The only thing is that they're held privately and there's two judges. Though they weren't mentioned in great detail, I'm almost positive that the judges are the higher-ups. Perhaps under the leader here...or even a level or two lower. But anyway, it'll be someone important who is trusted by the leader. They have especially high standards for quality of those who pass." Ino shot him a look, "They take their military very seriously. Next there's a test of loyalty, I believe. You're set a task of some sort, a mission maybe to embark on. Finish it and then you're proven. That's what I've gathered so far."

Neji cast his eyes down in thought. "We need to find out more before we do anything."

The two shared a knowing look. This was not going to be easy. Neji's fighting skills were that of the Hyuuga and easily recognized and identified. The Hyuuga clan was well heard of throughout all of the shadow countries. Ino's clan (which now only was composed of _her) _were hardly known, if not secretive. She was the best bet out of the two of them. They both knew this, but they put the matter aside for now.

"Alright. Did you scan the area?"

"Mmmm. I didn't get much out of it. I'm guessing that there are four to five entrances into the village in the north, south, east, and west. It looks like the one we entered from was the largest and most commonly used. And there are four guards outside, and four inside, as you know for security. The guards appointed outside look like the higher threat. At least the rank of a Jounin. Inside, the security looks to be about chuunin.'

"Sounds about right."

"We'll scout out the area over the next week and meet up again....say, next Thrusday."

The pair went over more plans together late into the night before they both crawled into bed and slept.

* * *

The man smirked at her. "Shiori, huh? Well, good luck then, Shiori." It was decided that the best course of action with minimal risk (which was still a hell of a lot), was for Ino to sign up. Neji would be man in the shadows, pulling the strings.

Ino smiled her golden smile, "Thanks." She was under the guise as a jounin who defected from the Rain.

The recruiter addressed her to enter the brown building behind him. Neji was across the street, sitting within a little food shop of some sort, and wore sunglasses to hide his activated byuukagan as he followed Ino into the building with his chakra-enhanced sight.

Ino was directed to the inner parts of the building. Ino both noted the guards scattered around the building. High caution was excercised here...even _if _they guards were mostly chuunin...certainly this was more than necessary to babysit some new recruits. Whoever was building this place up…they sure were paranoid as hell.

_Just how much people did they have to expend this many...? _ The two Konoha spies wondered.

They entered a large spacious room that was full of people of all sizes and shapes.

She was issued a number.

"Numbah eighty."

Ino edged off the side and stood against the wall as there were no seats left. As she swept the room...in a few minutes she judged that two out of the entire room were huge threats. B-rank, or even A-rank. She was confirmed as Neji's voice entered her ear through the earbud.

"Watch out for two of them. Their chakra masses are somewhat alarming."

Ino cleared her throat. This was her designated affirmative.

Not that all the rest of the sixty-some people in the room were _harmless or easy to deal with, _but the two that stood out appeared to be absolutely lethal if they wished to be.

The first one wasn't that hard to spot. He was seated near the middle of the room. He looked to be taller than Neji who was six-feet and two inches. The man was huge, probably six-feet-five inches. Tan skin, fair silver hair and faded navy clothing. He looked to be built of steel, and whose physical strength looked to be a force to reckon with, however he wasn't all brawn. If _that _were the case, he wouldn't be as large as a threat. But from the way he kept to himself, and the eyes that were bright and sharp...there were brains working behind the thick skull. Brawn _and brains. _

_Definitely a force to be reckoned with._

The second was harder. Another man who made good use of what little shadows there were in the room. He was quite the opposite of the first, small in stature and fair in skin with blonde hair. A square jaw and an intelligent gaze was leveled out into the crowd. Ino judged him to be the type that relied on speed and surprised his opponents with his small and unimpressive size. He looked to be an older man. Probably early to mid-thirties and definitely experienced. An older ninja was a dangerous one, he was either ridiculously lucky, or skilled enough to have survived for so long. He was swathed in all black.

The two men were quiet and unobtrusive. They kept to themselves and observed around them discreetly. Much like how Ino was handling herself.

Ten minutes passed as the low murmur of chit chat continued. Ino felt a gaze on her as she snapped her sight to the source. It was the elder experienced ninja. Well, damn.

Neither moved in body or gaze. A second passed, and a sort of respect was established between the two.

There were two doors up in the front of the room, one in each corner, and a man entered. The authority was plain in his stance as he addressed the people.

"Alright. Numbers twenty-one to forty, come with me."

A dark mass of movement occurred in the room as they trickled out the door. People filled in the empty seats.

Ino blinked. Then sighed quietly to herself. Her natural instinct was to make conversation with those around her, though it probably wasn't the best idea. But to hell with it, it was going to be a long wait, and perhaps there was someone here who had heard things that she hadn't.

* * *

"Karin. Suigetsu. How're they coming along?"

"The numbers are steadily growing. A few more months at this rate and it'll be good."

"Yah, this is almost too easy, but people keep comin'."

Sasuke twirled a kunai absentmindedly in his hand.

Things were going well.

As expected.

The Uchiha rose from his seat and brushed past his "advisors."

"People will come when you promise them what they want."

* * *

"You're going underground," delivered Neji from her earpiece.

She found herself being led underground into another room. The walls were cured from stone...and had simple circular patterns carved on them. Torches lit the hallways.

Was it really just past three in the afternoon? Time felt distorted down here.

As they settled down, four people were called. And they continued to dwindle down till eight people were left in the room.

A four way fight? Seemed plausible. Probably to save time and energy with the large numbers they tested frequently. Large enough to be efficient, and small enough so as not to waste away so many lives….well, _yet _anyway.

Ino felt the tension in the gloomy dark atmosphere as everyone summed each other up. She let her body clam up and draw into herself to appear worried and nervous. Weak and vulnerable. She let her eyes blink hard and wide-eyed as she glanced around the room skittishly. And even if her outer appearance emphasized it, she's couldn't deny that she was slightly nervous. As she ran battle strategies through her head, she could feel everyone else do the same, all the while gaining a wild...feverish look to their eyes, which was a curious reaction to have just before a "test."

Was there something that Ino missed?

"I'm going to kill all of you fuckers. Just watch," muttered a disgruntled man. "I'll survive it."

Oh. Fight to the death. Hooray.

* * *

Damn. Being one of the last was absolutely the worst. You got to sit and stew in the tension and feel everyone's nerves frying.

_Of all the dumb luck, _she cursed.

Finally, they were called and the simple instructions were relayed to them as they padded through the dimly lit space. Ino felt the adrenaline rush through her body as she felt an ill intent. She was the only woman left, and she could feel the quick logical whir of the three men she would face readying themselves to ambush her and take her out first, right then and there.

The man leading them cleared his throat loudly. "Disobey an order and you're immediately out. First order; do not start a fight unless I tell you to."

She relaxed a fraction. She felt the vexed aura's around her. They certainly were not pleased with this new information.

Soon the five people found themselves walking into a wide open space that met the surface. A mini stadium with a stone lining and bare surfaces. It was less than half in size of the stadium in Konoha. It was a curious setting and very unsettling. It was bare in every aspect. A ninja's worst scenario. Everything was smooth, the stone walls ranged in height unevenly, from fifty to seventy feet high. Nothing to hide behind, nothing to crawl into and disappear into. No natural cover whatsoever except for the shadows.

The Yamanaka flexed her fingers.

The group was led to the middle and the next instructions were given.

"The fight stays in here. If any of you so much as thinks to get leverage on the top edge wall, you're out."

A pause as the man let it sink in to the competitors. Ino felt slightly sick, it was almost as if this entire thing was a mockery to her during her chuunin exams.

The next words were spoken as the man disappeared, presumably to the top to observe the battle.

"The battle will stop when only one survives or unless I deem it fit to stop. Anything goes."

The reaction was instant.

The three men fanned out, and Ino made a mad dash up the wall. Speed was one of her greatest attributes. She was fast, limber, and strong only if she needed to be.

A chunk of rock flew in her path and she dodged while her hands were flying with the signs for a genjutsu that Anko had taught her.

It targeted the senses. The sight specifically.

_Eternal Darkness, _she whispered.

It was a blinding jutsu.

Immediately she scoured the area with her sight and found two shinobi who stumbled from her techinique.

That was all she needed to crush them. She flung out two kunai and it crashed into their throats. The simpler the better.

She continued her dash up the wall and neared the edge. She paused ten feet away from the opening and looked for the third enemy she was up against.

Her eyes flew across every nook and cranny but she found nothing. She gripped a kunai in her hand tightly as she assessed all the possibilities. She stood still in hopes of luring out her opponent and continued looking.

There was no illusion besides her own that was cast and -

Her analysis was cut short as a hand reached out of the wall and took hold of her ankle and a body followed it to throw her forcibly against the stone wall.

Ino gritted her teeth as she protected her head and felt three of her ribs crack. Fuck, she was going to be so bruised later.

Her fall to the ground was interrupted by more chunks of stone as she dodged and twisted between them, her ribs screamed in protest. As did the entire left side of her that was thrown into the wall.

At least she knew where he was now. And that he was probably from the Stone country. Gathering her chakra to a fine point in her two fists she landed on the ground and punched with all her might and let the chakra fly out of her pinpoint control just before her fists touched the ground.

The stone cracked and shattered up the very walls, she dashed up the walls again and couldn't but grin as she glimpsed the stone nin in a widening crack. '_Gotcha.'_

If she was Sakura, the place would've been pounded to dust, but ah well, this was good enough.

Standing horizontal to the ground in a stable area, she caught him in her Mind Paralyzing Jutsu and froze his limbs as he jumped from his hiding spot to avoid the tumbling stone. From this height, with no control over his body...Ino let the jutsu release as her sharp ears caught two sound cracks from amidst the thundering rock.

His legs must've been broken in that fall, and the scream that followed it was confirmation. Then followed the thunder as part of the stone wall followed.

A few stray chips of stone continued to fall and the dust rose softly from below. The left side of Ino's body tingled and throbbed from being thrown into the wall, and her ribs pulsed painfully, but she stood still, waiting.

She felt out with her aura and felt nothing.

Satisfied that her opponents were truly dead, she leapt down and landed on the debris to sit down. Ino brushed a few strands of black hair away from her face and peered at the opening above.

The same man from before leapt down soundlessly before her.

It'd grown considerably darker, and he stood where the shadows were darkest, but she was sure that he was grinning. He clearly didn't expect her to win, but Ino was used to that. People underestimated her constantly, and she played on that.

"Not bad, number eighty. You made it. Come on up."

A small sense of relief poured into her as she followed the overseer up and over the wall.

"Ah, but your pay is going to be docked till this arena is fixed and as good as new."

"Crap, seriously?"

* * *

**A/N: Eh...hehe. Long time no see. At least I bring you some more action in this chapter? (I'm sure that you can anticipate even more in the future).**

**Ashtart: Ahahaha, thank you. :) I'm very glad to hear that you think it's interesting.**

**: I'm honored that you still decided to read this even though it's not your thing. To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of the supernatural genre either. But when an idea hits you...well, sometimes you just got to pour it out, eh? And I hope this chapter had enough action for you. ;)**

**Aira Slytherin: :) Hello, deary. Thank for you reviewing again, honestly. And wow, four possibilities, eh? How exciting. You'll just have keep reading to find out. ;D And rest assured, there will be more clues in the later chapters.**

**Kami-Inu: Thank you! I worry sometimes that my works are waaayyy to descriptive (I can't help it, I love describing things) but I'm glad that it hasn't gotten in the way of your enjoyment. :) And yup, that was a dream.**

**Thank you for the support!  
**


	5. Scene 5

**WHAT THE DEAD KNOW**

By: Sil3ntxSpirit

Summary: _ The love story that ended before it even got the chance to start. But not only that, Konoha's haunted by the presence of an old enemy. War looms of the horizon, but leave it to Yamanaka Ino to fall in love with a dead man. No oc's. Rated M for safety._

* * *

What Happened Last Chapter:

_Ino felt out with her aura and felt nothing._

_Satisfied that her opponents were truly dead, she leapt down and landed on the debris to sit down. Ino brushed a few strands of black hair away from her face and peered at the opening above._

_The same man from before leapt down soundlessly before her._

_It'd grown considerably darker, and he stood where the shadows were darkest, but she was sure that he was grinning. He clearly didn't expect her to win, but Ino was used to that. People underestimated her constantly, and she played on that._

_"Not bad, number eighty. You made it. Come on up."_

_A small sense of relief poured into her as she followed the overseer up and over the wall._

_"Ah, but your pay is going to be docked till this arena is fixed and as good as new."_

_"Crap, seriously?"_

* * *

**Scene 5**

It was a curious thing, Neji decided, to hear a fight close up and watch it from afar. It was almost like a bad horror movie with terrible pixilation and graphics, but _fantastic speakers._

He saw her tiny figure pause, perched horizontally on the vertical wall. Her deep, calming breaths filled his ears as if she were right next to him.

This strange far away show with extra intimate speakers continued.

His heart lept in his chest when he realized that she didn't spot the stone nin, and got slammed against the wall.

He heard the breathless beginning of '_shit!' _fly from her lips and the sounds of her bones crack along with the impact of flesh meeting stone and the throaty noise that was literally crushed out from her lungs.

He'd never even heard her this close in the battles he fought with her _side by side._

Yes, this was strange. Neji felt all the turbulence grow within him as he merely sat here, watching and hearing all this while she was out there risking it. His pride, and what little heart he had left was furious at the way things were. He'd give anything to be there fighting with her, but the logic in his mind knew that it would be beyond risky to do it. Beyond _foolishness. _His chances of getting recognized and exposed were much too high. He snorted in frustration. And then blamed the main house for being so damn prestigious and well-know (because you know, everything was their fault).

After that, his attention was drawn away from the fight as the sharp movements of other customers near him turned to look at his. Curiously, fearfully, cautiously.

Neji realized he'd probably cursed along with her earlier, and upon entering self-awareness, he realized how tense he was and slowly unclenched his fists.

Dusting himself off, and forcing his body back into a nonchalant and casual demeanor, he walked away from the food shop and joined the crowded street.

Might as well pick up some extra medical supplies while he was here. Ino would probably need a lot more later than their current stash now.

* * *

"...nngh."

Ino trudged up the hotel stairs. Ugh, she was sore. All she wanted to do was get a little rest and heal up her ribs.

And take a shower. Yeah, a shower sounded nice.

It wasn't that bad. But it wasn't that easy either. Ah hell, she'd just go up and heal up her ribs and loaf around till Neji got back from whatever he was doing at the moment. Neji had given her the spare key to his room, and she'd given him hers.

'Out,' he said simply over the ear bud. She didn't pester him out of fear, if he was in the middle of something…well, you get the point.

She flopped down on his made-up bed. Ino closed her eyes for a moment, just to gather her thoughts.

But then somehow she found herself walking along the streets of Konoha again...and she was wearing her father's trench coat. Her umbrella, dangling from her limp fingers. She felt the cold moisture in the air cling to her skin...she took in a deep calming breath...

The rain had just stopped, and the field glittered in the filtered silver sunlight. She found herself staring at the same man in the distance.

And once her right foot put itself forward, the rest of her followed. She was walking again...hours...and days...an eternity.

Her foot steps were whispers among the petals, secrets passed from leaf to leaf with every stride.

She felt the cold, crisp wind press against her face. The wind rose and she felt her hair whip back and forth behind her.

A few stray rain drops hit her cheek and neck.

She was still walking.

Walking...and walking...

But her gaze remained focused on the young man. He needed her.

He was _waiting for her. _

And finally, she found herself just shy of a few feet away from him. And just like before, his cloak glistened with moisture while his dark feathery hair was dry as a bone.

"Ino," he spoke. It was a deep voice, and it made her think of the deep echoes of drums in the distance…

…**war drums.**

He was close enough to touch.

Then in a horrid sense of deji-vu, he began to turn and she was greeted with the same elegant but masculine cheek and a straight nose...

Something clicked. Ino's conscious told her it was the door opening.

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up instantly then clutched at her head at the temporary head rush. Ugh...when did she fall asleep? She wasn't supposed to fall asleep...

_Dammit! _She rubbed her side while one hand remained glued to her face, while frowning to herself. She didn't remember having that dream ...but everything in her senses told her that she'd _experienced it before..._It was incredibly vivid and of course, the most annoying thing was that it kept getting _interrupted. _

"Ah, Ino," a different deep voice greeted her. And no war drums, thank goodness.

Neji was back.

"Neji," she peered at him through her fingertips, then felt her ribs twinge. He merely blinked at her apparent irritation and brushed it off.

Ah, right. She _was supposed to heal her ribs while she was here. _ She shook her head slightly then watched him travel to his sack of clothing.

The hand that clutched her head darted into the air and caught something that Neji threw to her. She winced at her automatic movement, her ribs were still broken.

Nonetheless, she curiously raised the object to inspect it.

A brand-new roll of pearly white bandages.

Ino couldn't stop her face from smiling. "Awww, I knew you caaarrreeddd, Neji," she drawled out in a voice that practically dripped with honey. Teasing him was one of her favorite past times.

Said teased man grunted and stopped himself from rolling his eyes. (Ino caught the almost-roll of his eyes and it amused her even more).

But despite the little moment, Neji's face fell a bit when his gaze met her face.

Ino mirrored his frown and touched tentatively at her face. "What?" Then a spot stung as her finger grazed it.

"Ow. Oh."

"You're bruised." He bent down again to his sack to retrieve something.

Ino's fingers told her that the skin was scraped, not terribly so, but enough for little beads of blood to break through and form tiny scabs. Underneath the scraped skin, she knew she was bruised. Damn, that stone nin! Crap...practicially half her face was bruised!

"Ah, it's nothing serious."

The Hyuuga straightened up and raised a dubious eyebrow at her.

"You've got some broken bones, don't you?" The eyebrow along with the edges of his lips fell into a frown.

Ino blinked, then looked at her own body language. Okay, so she was cradling her ribs, but it couldn't have been _that _obvious, could it?

"How-?"

"I heard something crack over the ear bud."

"Oh." Ino took out the tiny device from her ear and looked at it. "Wow. These things are awesome," her moment of child-like amazement softened something within Neji's demeanor.

"I'll help you bandage your injuries."

The woman rolled her eyes in response, "Aw come on, there's no need for that. I'm just bruised with a broken rib or two, I can fix it myself."

The man eyed her like a hawk for three seconds straight. Which is a lot longer than you think.

Ino pouted and glared back, and folded her arms to finalize her argument. …Which was a stupid move, because it irritated her ribs more. One of her eyes twitched without her control.

Neji smirked.

Ino pouted further. "Shut up."

"Right. " He bent down again, then rose with a clean change of clothing, and crossed the room without sparing her another glance, "I'll help heal your bruises then. You need to save as much chakra as possible." Then he was in the bathroom, and a few moments later, the sound of running water filled the room.

Ino blinked.

Then she scowled and glared at the bathroom door as if it offended her. Dammit, she didn't even take her shower! And stupid Neji didn't even bother offering her the shower first, after all that fussing about her physical well-being you think he'd offer her a chance to be clean. She huffed quietly to herself, even though she really wasn't put off in the least. The fact that Neji cared in the first place was something precious.

As she sat on the bed, listening to Neji shower, her mind began to wander. _Stupid...dream..._her scowl melted into confusion as she ran through the dream sequence.

She could've sworn that she'd had it before. That young man...

The kunoichi flopped back down on the bed in exasperation and instantly regretted it. Her ribs were _still_ broken.

"Nrrgh..."

She glanced at the clock. It was seven in the evening, and her stomach growled embarrassingly loud into the silence. Thank god that Neji was taking his shower right now. Or even if he heard it (which actually wasn't all that unlikely, ninjas and their enhanced _everything_), at least she wasn't there to witness his infuriating smirk. Again.

Still laying on the bed, she unzipped her jacket and lifted her shirt halfway up to feel around her ribs. Eh, Neji wouldn't mind, he's seen her heal herself before. And half-naked. Nothing new about a woman in a nearly erotic but clearly not erotic position on his bed feeling herself up. _Yup. _

When she was just about finished healing herself, a waft of steam entered the room as Neji stepped out of the shower. The man sported a grey t-shirt (that was tight in all the right places, in Ino's opinion) and a simple pair of black work pants. He hardly spared the half-exposed woman lying on his bed a glance as he walked around the bed to toss his clothing on a chair and sat down beside her.

When he finally looked at her, he had an eyebrow raised again.

Ino sighed. "Three. One broken, the other two were fractures." _Sigh. How embarrassing._

Neji's eyebrow did not lower itself. Ino rolled her eyes and continued.

"What?"

Her mission partner turned away and shrugged. It was a rare but incredibly elegant gesture, coming from the Hyuuga.

Slightly confused herself, Ino finished up healing that one pesky fracture and made herself decent once more and sat up.

"It wasn't that bad. I'm glad and disappointed at the same time that those two guys weren't in my group."

"Hn. I'm sure that you'll run into them sooner or later, this is only the -

The Hyuuga paused as he was interrupted by Ino's stomach.

The growl filled the silence and Ino flushed slightly.

He looked at her and smirked. She felt it coming at the corners of his lips, the bastard. "I guess we should go out and get dinner?"

She mock glared at him and flippantly stood up with her own small sack of clothing in hand and made a beeline for the shower.

"You're paying, Hyuuga." The kunoichi had her nose in the air and snootily disappeared behind the door.

Neji rolled his eyes and sighed, then waited for Ino to finish her shower. _Women. _

* * *

Dinner consisted of a simple miso udon dish for Neji and some rice and fish for Ino. They talked quietly about the village and all it held. It wouldn't matter if someone happened to eavesdrop on them anyway. New comers were a common factor here in the Sound, nothing new, nothing curious. Blending in as well as possible was the key.

"The village's layout is efficient. Things are sectioned off in categories and are easy to maneuver once you understand the organization," Neji commented offhandedly.

Ino bobbed her head up and down in agreement. "What about the central building?"

"It's the where the government resides, I'm sure. I believe that we can get our forms sorted out there." He gave her a look though, as to say that really _wasn't simply the case._

Ino looked back and nodded. This would be clarified later.

Tsunade paired them up for a reason, and the results were showing up quite well. Ino was an expert on the language of the human body, nothing could get by her detection when it came to all the unspoken things left in the air. And Neji, well, he was a _Hyuuga, _and a _brilliant one at that, _he could not read the human body as well as Ino, but he didn't need to. His mastery of the Byukagan gave him leverage to a person's bodily reactions, such as sweating or heart-beat. An increase in either was a sure-way of indicating that something was up. Coupled with the knowledge he had of the human body, he was definitely good to go.

Soon the two found themselves walking along the dark streets at nine or so amicably.

Ino gazed up longingly at the night sky.

"I miss the stars back there."

Neji spared her a sideways glance before turning up to admire the glittering cosmos.

It was definitely not Konoha.

"Mmmm. Yes, it's different here."

Ino sighed and carefully slipped an arm around the stoic Hyuuga's arm. Neji stiffened for a moment before relaxing again. He would never be used to such casual contact, but he also understood the kind of person Ino was. Human contact was something the woman thrived on, and to give her some credit, she didn't pull this kind of thing often. She knew Neji needed his space. And Neji came to understand that she _didn't want hers._

He sighed melodramatically and feigned torture. "It never ceases to amaze me how you managed to complete these things alone."

She scowled and dug her elbow into his side in mock fury, "_Excuse me?_ What are you implying, Hyuuga?"

* * *

Karin's sandals echoed down the hallway as she rushed to deliver her findings to Sasuke.

Upon reaching the head chambers, she knocked curtly.

"What did you find?"

Karin drew in a breath before releasing the information.

"It was Konoha."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and thoughtful silence filled the air.

"And the two missing guards are dead. And though it mostly likely bears no connection I just thought that it was a funny coincidence where they where found."

The Uchiha's dark eyes turned back to his subordinate in question.

"...Where?"

* * *

**AN: Hey guys! I usually try to have some future chapters finished ahead of time, but school's been keeping me busy, and my motivation/inspiration's been shot to pieces by it. :( And here, in this chapter I wanted to concentrate more on the relationship between Neji and Ino. I'm hoping that I've got a sense of familiarity between the two without having them ooc and whatnot. And the next fight will be in the coming chapter! I promise. :)**

**Kami-Inu: Thanks for the review! And you're waaaayy to kind. And lol! Yes, Ino is no pansy indeed. ;)**

**Viridian Phoenix: Ah, it seems that we have the same taste. :D And hopefully, for the both of us, this trend will continue as I introduce more characters into the story.**

**jin toshikazu: o.o Well, that certainly is interesting that your username can't show up. And I don't hate Sakura or Hinata, but it seems like lately they're just getting over-rated. Which just makes me want to explore Ino's character even FURTHER (along with perhaps Tenten, too...). And yeah, I want Ino to have a heart here, instead of being a cold weapon. :) And you flatter me! (I look forward to your updates also!) 8D **

**Aira Slytherin: Hi! _ I'm not a very punctual updater...As you've probably noticed. *sigh* BUT I do try my best to make the story interesting and as believable as possible, so hopefully I don't let you down in that aspect. :) Thank you for reviewing!  
**


	6. Scene 6

**WHAT THE DEAD KNOW**

By: Sil3ntxSpirit

Summary: _The love story that ended before it even got the chance to start. But not only that, Konoha's haunted by the presence of an old enemy. War looms of the horizon, but leave it to Yamanaka Ino to fall in love with a dead man. No oc's. Rated M for safety._

* * *

What Happened in the Last Chapter:

_"I miss the stars back there."_

_Neji spared her a sideways glance before turning up to admire the glittering cosmos._

_It was definitely not Konoha._

_"Mmmm. Yes, it's different here."_

_Ino sighed and carefully slipped an arm around the stoic Hyuuga's arm. Neji stiffened for a moment before relaxing again. He would never be used to such casual contact, but he also understood the kind of person Ino was. Human contact was something the woman thrived on, and to give her some credit, she didn't pull this kind of thing often. She knew Neji needed his space. And Neji came to understand that she didn't want hers._

_He sighed melodramatically and feigned torture. "It never ceases to amaze me how you managed to complete these things alone."_

_She scowled and dug her elbow into his side in mock fury, "Excuse me? What are you implying, Hyuuga?"_

* * *

**Scene 6**

Sasuke strolled down the dimmed hallways. He was due for a walk outside the head quarters and into the village itself. Though it may take up precious time to actually go _out _and see the village _with his own eyes, _it was worth it.

Part of him was paranoid enough, and trusted only himself to see what was going on outside. Another part of him felt pride at his handiwork. The village was prospering slowly, but _surely_. Soon…everything will be ready. He was more than eager to move forward with his plans.

His attire did not show any outward drastic changes really. Uchiha Sasuke proved to be a creature of habit, and he still donned a navy, hooded cloak (mostly outside to hide his features), and wore the standard black ninja sweats along with a charcoal kimono top that was similar to what he wore when he studied under Orochimaru. It was comfortable, and useful to take off if the time ever came for him to get serious in battle (though the times were rare). Underneath, he wore a white sleeveless shirt. White was the only thing that was completely impractical about his wardrobe; white got dirty too easily, was too easy to spot, and was in general a hassle in terms of ninja practicality. He may not have realized it, but he had kept the color white with him all these years. White…was the shred of his childhood. It was the remnant of his past life. Untainted.

White.

He blended into the shady crowd on the streets and silently marveled at how each time there was a sea of new foreign faces. Along with the thrilling notion of the rapid growth of his village came great caution. One of the more emphasized codes that were followed in the Sound was that it was easy to get in, but difficult to get _out._ It was a small way to calm the Uchiha's nerves. A small, miniscule thing that took a tiny bit of weight off his shoulders, along with the _added weight. _

Such as how a constant flow into the village meant a huge growth in population…meaning more needs for food, water transportation…more resources. More _everything. _Perhaps he should consider expanding.

Goddamn Konoha for wiping out one of his weapon supplies. The childish part of him could not _wait _to extract revenge over this tiny matter. Of course, he was certainly _not a child. _His patience may be one of his weaker points, but he certainly had the restraint to exercise it.

He scowled as he thought of where to find another supplier. He idly wondered what ninja was sent to do the job. Perhaps it was a group? And then he_ almost wondered_ if it was someone he'd known before, but realized the chances of that were slim to none. Instead he continued on his stroll through the village and watched the people.

It would've been a standard look around, if it weren't for one newcomer that he felt, more than sighted.

There were some powerful and skilled ninja residing here.

But _this one, _felt different.

Almost…_familiar._

Sasuke's eyes darted around the street, searching for the maddening chakra signature. It wasn't anyone that he'd met in his years of travel recently, that much he was sure of. This signature was_ old_…old enough that it tickled the cobwebs and dust of his fading memories. He'd never been irritated so vehemently in such a short amount of time. His eyes darted quickly over the crowd; searching.

Finally he spotted a man, with long dark hair tied high up, making his way down on the same street heading in the opposite direction. There was a faint burst of chakra from him, Sasuke could feel it. Then the burst of chakra from the man vanished as whatever the hell he was doing stopped. The Uchiha eyed the man discreetly.

He is around his height, perhaps an in or two taller. He bore no outward sign of any alliances to any other villages but that wasn't uncommon. Pale complexion…sunglasses…bandages around the forehead. The Uchiha's scowl grew darker. Something was tickling in the back of his fading memories. And it was probably not going to yield any answers soon.

The Uchiha glared at the obscuring sunglasses and bandages. It was difficult to distinguish the man's face when half of it was concealed. He considered the idea of facial scarring. That wasn't too uncommon either. But it just didn't seem to fit. He stared some more. What did that man have to hide?

As they passed each other, that spike of familiarity hit the Uchiha at full force, but still, no answers came. He paused. Then he glanced back at the man with the concealed features, with eyes dark and narrowed. He took a mental note of this. He was positive that this chakra belonged to someone from Konoha. Only the people he'd met back in Konoha could stir such faded memories of his childhood. And the idea of someone he knew as a child defecting from that village was just incomprehensible. It was laughable.

His entire face darkened with thought. His instincts were not going to let this go anytime soon.

* * *

A week later, Ino inspected herself in the mirror. Her new black hair was tied neatly into an efficient bun at the back of her head, but she still left half of her bangs down, she'd leave it like that till the fight started, and stored a handy clip in her pockets. The less they could see of her face, the better. She wore simple, unflattering clothing; a loose gray t-shirt and black sweats, with her normal sandals. After the initial fight, she was told to return to the same location for her training.

Boot-camp. Hoooray. A little routine brain-washing surely was what she needed to spice up her life. She knew what game they were playing, and reminded herself to mentally steel herself.

She separated her belongings into two bags. One she packed only the very bare essentials that she would need, this she would bring with her to the Sound's training facility. The second where she had packed some various outfits to further her disguise, and other tidbits, such as her favorite weapons and whatnot, she would leave with Neji for safe keeping.

With another cursory glance at herself on the way out, Ino gathered her things and checked out of her hotel.

Not a trace of her left. As it should be.

* * *

Neji opened the door at six in the morning to see his mission partner ready and prepared to take her mission to a new level. A tiny part of him was always slightly surprised at how different she looked, but then he remembered that it was all for the better. She looked to be a different person, and it would serve in her interests well.

He still fumed quietly at the fact that she had to go through all the dirty work.

"Morning sunshine," she drawled with a smirk.

"Morning," he stepped aside and let her in.

She was due in an hour and a half. So far, this was where the _real mission started. _Communications were even harder to maintain between the two, and Ino was sure that the fancy earbuds should go. After all, this was _bootcamp. _She was probably going to be covered in grit, grim and mud and other pleasant things that might interfere with the lovely little piece of technology.

Neji disagreed. It was the newest model, waterproof, and _very resilient. _It was also designed specifically for ninja's in mind, so it _must _at least hold up to _something _considering the usual work they do.

They fought it out a little while the night before, Neji with the argument that he may become her ears and eyes if she became too exhausted to see things properly. In any case, the view was so much clearer and broader when you were simply the detached viewer, as opposed to the person _going through the obstacles. _ However, Ino argued that if she got _caught _with them, it would bring suspicion to her and possibly threaten the entire mission. _Then what?_

"It's your hearing aid," he spoke promptly.

Ino blinked. She was _not amused, nor convinced._

"_Hearing…aid._ _Very _original, Hyuga. It doesn't even look like a hearing aid."

The man brushed off her blatant sarcasm and continued: "Yes. _Hearing aid. _It's not that uncommon, you were on a mission years ago, and an explosion tag happened to be near by and it damaged your hearing. Which isn't far from the truth. It is also a new model." Though he didn't _voice it, _what Hyuga Neji wanted to add was a condescending "_obviously, it's so clear."_

And Ino knew what he wanted to say. Her eyebrow twitched in irritation.

Then it twitched some more. Her mouth opened with a counter-argument, and then she watched Neji's steel resolve harden further on itself and reluctantly gave in.

"…_fine." Stubborn asshole. _She was now Shiori Tanaka, missing nin from the Rain, hard of hearing in her right ear. Pfft.

* * *

Together the two spent their morning with more talks about future actions to be taken, and shared a large unhealthy breakfast (Ino wanted to splurge a bit, seeing as for the next few months she'd be eating _boot camp food _and was adamant on indulging a little till she was completely subjected to "disgusting, grey, tasteless mush!").

It was resolved during the unusual foreign breakfast, (eggs, waffles and pancakes with the works that Neji wasn't sure what possessed the woman to order such odd foods of all things to splurge on) that Neji would apply for a government job. He was going to find out how the Sound kept itself alive so well, how it supported itself, and where did these resources come from. As the land the Sound settled itself on was not particularly fertile, much of it was probably imported. What farmers that were settled here had to be excellent farmers. You could only discover so much about how they _fought _while being in the militia, but through the government you could figure out how they functioned as _a society. _The more information they gathered, the better.

* * *

At registration, Ino realized just how precise and detailed their military was. They took everyone and anyone and took it further by taking the pains to divide them into separate categories based on perceived skill level. While this was amazing, she couldn't fathom how it could work so well. The Sound was a military oriented society, this much was obvious. This mish-mash of foreigners in the military was already an interesting idea at the least but what Ino _really _ wondered about how many others were truly loyal to the Sound. That was the most glaringly obvious flaw she could find. While a large mass of power, it lacked in complete unity and purpose. Taking that note in mind, she realized that if needed, one of the best ways to break this mass apart was to appeal to the diversity.

As she pondered further, the fact that it was so military oriented bothered her. Upon her arrival, she noted that going into the military was the _norm here. _It was advertised, emphasized, and encouraged. They wanted more and more man power.

Looking at the wide variety in the sea of faces, the conclusion she drew was that the head of this place had conquests in mind.

So an invasion perhaps. But as a fledging new village revived, what did the Sound want? The new establishment did not have the same enemies as Orochimaru. She stopped herself there, the possibility of Orochimaru being alive still while thought to be myth, has not been fully disproven. From what she'd seen, people coupled with such enthusiastic madness and brilliance could be capable of unthinkable things. She couldn't completely rule him out. If so, then Konoha was quite likely to be a target. Then again, this was all speculation as of now.

She was stabbing blindly in the dark at this point.

What a _village. _

Ino filled in among the faceless masses to receive her next orders. There was a small platform up front and a man began to speak.

"Well, well, well. Congratulations to all of you standing before me. You've survived, and you killed to do it. Otogakure smiles down at your vigilance and perseverance for joining us. However, there's more to be done. You will be tested once more," here the man smiled an oily smile that made Ino's lips pull themselves into a disgusted sneer, "Arrange yourselves according to rank, and continue on to the next proceedings. Once completed, you will have officially contributed to the growing phenomenon that is the village of the Sound and be considered a part of us," of course, Ino disliked the man even more as he continued to speak. "Many of you have come seeking a better life. A better future! Many of us have been scorned, but be at ease here. We welcome you!"

What a grand pep-talk, she thought sarcastically to herself. However, at the sight of a couple of heads nodding and a general agreement she thought about the situation. It didn't occur to her that perhaps all the people that came here were drawn by the fact that everyone was welcomed and could join the military; what was so traditionally considered to be something exclusive to citizens. Perhaps the majority of the people who came here were nomadic in nature, and tired of going from place to place. She supposed the major selling point of the Sound was that all were welcome to stay.

Hmmm. It was actually poetic almost, she realized. And remarkable effective and strangely hopeful. The glaringly obvious flaw was also a strength in itself.

Interesting.

She stood among a population looking for a new start that was at perhaps, the very least, apathetically loyal to the Sound. The chances of the Sound continually growing seemed rather likely from this standpoint.

Falling in line, she was issued a new number. She was now known as number 2067. Yup, some standard dehumanization. As Ino passed through the doors, she couldn't help but wonder what was in store for her.

* * *

Neji couldn't prevent his left eye from twitching slightly as the woman looked over his application tediously. For the third time.

He was more than qualified to be a _secretary _for god's sake. Especially with all these fabricated credentials.

"Hmmm," the woman sounded.

She tapped her fingers on her desk and continued to scrutinize the piece of paper.

Neji's eye twitched. He was positive over ten minutes had passed. What could be so interesting?!

What felt like eons later, the woman adjusted her glasses.

"Well. This is very impressive, Suzuki-San." She fidgeted with her spectacles once more (to Neji's irritation), "So tell me as I am slightly curious, with all your past experience, what makes wish to work here in _this position? "_

* * *

"Oof!" Ino slammed into the mud. Great, now she was officially completely filthy from head to toe. Boot camp sucked to say in the least. She wasn't surprised. She doubted anyone was surprised. They were banned from using any excess of chakra in the first few they were told. No jutsu's or anything. Just raw physical work. Ino was currently racing through an obstacle course. For…the fifth time.

She wiped mud clots clear from her face and sprinted on. She was hardly out of shape, but admittedly this also served as a good reminder to how reliant she was on her ninjutsu. As she scrambled up a wall, a huge arm came into view right above her and gripped a groove for leverage. Ino momentarily paused and let the person pass, glancing over out of curiosity to see who it was.

Tan skin, silver hairs underneath dirt and curiously bright eyes met hers.

It was the behemoth from before in the waiting room. Brains and brawn. She blinked in surprise as he pulled up past her in one fluid motion and was up ahead within an instant.

The moment passed. Other people were shoving by, and she clung on and made her way up with the muddied masses.

* * *

"Welcome to the team, Suzuki-San. We look forward to having you with us."

"Thank you," Neji nodded.

"You can start tomorrow morning. I'll show you where you mostly be working."

Neji followed the woman out the door and past the corridors. Pushing papers was far from ideal, but at least he had something to do and a source of income. Sitting around with nothing specific to do was going to drive him mad if it continued any further.

* * *

Ino was panting. Hard. Her muscles were starting to give. She was running laps. Round and up and down and round and round these hills.

This was going to go on for a couple of weeks. The new recruits were to be physically pushed beyond their limits on a daily basis. Ino figured that while also useful in building their strength, this extreme physical regiment also put stress on their psyches, including her own. Constantly straining the body like this was bound to put a strain on her mind as well. Ino needed to remind herself to be aware and as alert as possible.

It was proving to be a bit difficult as she concentrated on not tripping over her mud-caked self. Her clothes were twice as heavy, and the cold fabric continuously pressed against her.

She was going to melt into a mud puddle herself at the rate this was going.

* * *

Not a few hours in did Neji already find that his eye was growing an unseemly tick.

"No, you're looking for the _Records _Department."

The woman gave him an uncertain look. "Are you sure?"

Neji did his best to will his stare to be neutral and not a withering glare, "yes."

"But I was told to come _here."_

His frown was growing steadily. "I'm sorry, but there has been a mistake." The Hyuga breathed in…and out.

The woman shot him another doubtful look before finally leaving.

Neji returned to his paper work, thankful that he managed to not snap his pencil into two. Again. _God, _he hoped that Ino was having a lot better time than he was. He was starting to think that he should've just risked getting found out and joined the military too. He faintly wondered how she was doing. They hadn't spoken since the day she left. No word probably meant for best. But it could've also meant that something happened. He blinked and shook himself out of this reverie. Ino would be fine, she was a lot tougher than she liked to look. Turning his attention back to his desk, Neji could've sworn that the pile of misfiled paper had _grown _somehow whenever he looked away. _How _could that be possible?!

_Crack!_

He looked down at his hand. His pencil was in two.

His tick came back, and with a resolve made of steel he held back from childishly smashing the desk in. He took a deep breath…

And exhaled slowly through his nostrils.

Only a few more hours to go.

Yes.

He could do this.

* * *

Months came and passed. Ino's physique was considerable leaner than when she'd first entered the Sound. As to whether or not she was pleased at this development, she'd yet to make up her mind. Her physical performance certainly had improved, and this she _was _pleased with. Though to be honest, she really hadn't had time to even consider it. This physical training regiment had certainly hit home, as she was so busy leaping through hoops from morning to night that by the time she was clean enough to hit her tiny cot that night she fell asleep near instantly, so tired that she could hardly think.

Ino had only managed to communicate with Neji a handful of times throughout her time here. And they were mostly in the times where she was lucky enough to get to the women's restroom while it was empty. Being a spy certainly wasn't always as glamorous as many people expected it to be.

Boot camp wasn't really letting up much despite the fact that they'd been at it for weeks. Whenever they finally got physically comfortable enough to finish a course, it was increased.

This is how Ino found herself on her cot sitting upright with her legs stretched out in front of her, massaging them and testing out her severely sprained ankle at the end of the day. It was early in the morning; light hadn't even touched the horizon yet. She'd exerted too much pressure and this ankle was driving her insane. If she didn't heal it, it would only cause her more problems in the future. This was an issue that she was clearly capable of fixing herself nor would it take long, so she began setting to work after making sure everyone else was asleep. Ino kept her medical training to herself so far, out of precaution. It was better to make her skills lesser known than to stand out anyhow.

However, as this morning crept upon her, a stroke of misfortune fell as a higher-up just passed by her building and was immediately drawn to the faint glow of her chakra at work.

A little burst of healing, and Ino rubbed her ankle. She tested it and it felt good as new.

"Ya know, you're not allowed to use chakra during this process."

Ino started. Shit, she had to be more careful. She looked up at the figure standing at the foot of her bed. Light had just begun to touch the horizon and she could make out the vague features of the man. He wasn't anyone that she recognized. And to be honest, he didn't look like too much of a man either. He looked quite young, around her age if not perhaps a little older and retained a boyish quality. But she figured him to be of some sort of authority from the way he carried himself so smugly.

"Sorry sir, it won't happen again," she spoke quickly.

He smiled, and she realized that he had two rows of sharp pointy teeth. …Like a shark.

Sharkteeth tilted his head and considered her. "You were healing yourself, weren't you?"

Well shit, so much keeping her medical training to herself. Not to mention keeping a low profile. Now she'd be the girl who tried to heal herself. Ino considered her options. Was she going to have to deal with the repercussions of using chakra when specifically told not to? A quick appraisal of the figure before her told her that he wasn't angry in the least, but faintly amused. This man probably regarded to the established rules here with apathy. He looked like someone who enjoyed rebelling when he was younger. He felt out of place.

Her gut told her that some subtle flirting wouldn't hurt. So she peeked at him from the corner of her eyes and then looked down in a gesture of shame. Her voice softened, "Um, I'm not even very good. I just wanted to soothe my ankle a little…" She peeked up at him again through her lashes and bent over to massage the said ankle, "it's been bothering me these past few days.

She wasn't wearing anything revealing or particularly flattering, but it worked when Sharkteeth's attention was momentarily distracted and drawn to the contours of her body that were hinted at as she stretched foward. People were definitely waking up now.

"Got a name?"

"Tanaka, sir." It felt wrong calling him a "sir."

His lips pulled back in amusement and revealed those peculiar teeth again. "Well, Tanaka, why don't you –"

"You idiot!" _Now _everybody was awake. A female voice cut in from the entrance of the building.

The man frowned, and the woman strode over muttering obscenities under her breath.

"He's _looking _for you, dumbass. Get over there! Stop flirting with the goddamn recruits!"

Sharkteeth rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I caught this one healing herself," he spoke gesturing over to her.

Ino blanched. It seemed to be all going well until this interruption. The new arrival turned to her like the crack of a whip and eyed her up and down with a disapproving frown.

"Is this true?"

"…Yes." Denying it now seemed fruitless and foolish.

To Ino's surprise, the woman's expression turned thoughtful. "Since you're so intent on using chakra, consider yourself reassigned," she turned to realize Sharkteeth still stood there, "What are you still doing here! _Go!" _And with that he went on his way, taking his time with a grumble in his breath.

"Reassigned?" Ino's eyes were wide with confusion.

"Yes, what is your identification number?"

"…2067."

"2067….Alright then, if you would follow me," the woman makes a note on her clipboard then turns on her heels and starts walking briskly away.

Confused about the state of her immediate future, Ino hesitates before scrambling up and after her. Once she catches up she cannot help but ask, "Where am I being transferred to? It won't happen again. On my word!"

"Hmph. Don't worry. You're not being punished as of now, if that is your main concern. I am only putting your talents to use elsewhere they are needed."

Ino wasn't sure what to say at this point and concentrated on keeping on the woman's heels.

"So, how far is your medical training?" They had long exited the building that housed her division and were heading into a completely different section it appeared.

"Not very far." Passing through chain link fence, another building came into view. It did not differ too much in appearance to the previous one she was housed at. The pair entered the building and took a quick turn into an office. Ino eyed the woman's unusual haircut and color. A bright red. She took note of her features, and spectacles. She was obviously an authority of some kind also.

"Hmm, well then that will change with time," at this she offered a polite smile, "do well and you will be rewarded."

Ino nodded in affirmation. She despised being shuffled around like this, but she supposed it had it's perks too. Being transferred in a new division meant new forms of information, and a new perspective.

"Good then. Now, you are being transferred to our medical division as we are short of members," the woman stretched out her hand, "I will be your new supervisor. Understood?"

Ino met hers and they shook. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. I go by Karin. After we've sorted through your paperwork, we'll get started."

Well, this certainly could've gone a lot worse.

* * *

**AN: Guys, it's been years. (I pretty much have no shame by now, pfft) I can't believe that I even finished this chapter. It feels so odd to be writing this again. As always I wanted to thank you all for reading and for your kind comments and support. A few recent reviews have actually spurred me on to finish this, so please know that your reviews really do matter to me. :)**

**DAC: I'm glad you felt that way about the interaction between them. I wanted to incorporate those little moments in this super serious mission. :)**

**Aira Slytherin: Your words are too kind! . I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Jin . toshikazu: I had to put some thought into writing them and how I wanted Neji's personality and character to age as he got older if he and Ino were to get along. **

**pattie mayonnaise: Your username is quite fun. XD And thanks so much! I actually get afraid of things getting dragged out, because I feel like I have a penchant for writing slow-moving stories. **

**Ojou-sama: I'm aliiivvvee! Sort of. Barely. Haha, and you'll just have to wait and see. ;)**

**Nukumi: It's been so long since I've come back that when I came across your username in this review, I had a little spasm. I didn't even realize you read this, because I'm quite fan of your current NejiIno work "Ricochet" and your other works. Urrrgh. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**up-and-moving: I'm probably as surprised as you are that I updated. :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Once again, thanks for reading and all the support! **


End file.
